Emily Sanatan booked their place in the next round of the CKS Mega Bargain Labasa Sanatan Tournament after defeating Abua Sanatan in a dramatic penalty shootout in front of thousands of football fans who packed Subrail Park to watch Fiji international Roy Krishna.
The electric atmosphere reached its peak during the tournament's final knockout fixture, as supporters stayed until the final whistle to watch Roy Krishna and Emily Sanatan battle Abua Sanatan in a fiercely contested encounter.
Both teams produced an entertaining display of football, showcasing impressive skill, determination and teamwork throughout the match.
Emily Sanatan struck first when a dangerous free kick into the penalty area was brilliantly headed into the back of the net to give them the early advantage.
Abua Sanatan responded strongly and piled on the pressure after falling behind.
Their persistence paid off when a powerful free kick took a deflection off an Emily defender before finding the back of the net for an own goal, bringing the scores level at 1-1.
Emily created several chances to regain the lead, but Roy Krishna was closely marked by the Abua defence, preventing the Fiji star from getting on the scoresheet.
With neither side able to find a winner in regulation time, the match went to a penalty shootout, where Emily Sanatan held their nerve to defeat Abua Sanatan and secure their place in the next stage.
Abua's task became even more difficult after one of their midfielders was shown a red card, reducing the side to ten players.
Speaking to fijivillage Sports Krishna says it was a tough encounter, adding that every match becomes more challenging once teams reach the knockout stages.
Krishna also expresses his gratitude to the thousands of fans who turned out to support the match and encouraged football supporters to continue coming out in large numbers to support the Labasa Sanatan Tournament.
